WHISTLER, B.C.—Embyr-Lee Susko won her third-straight Canadian Luge Championship while Theo Downey captured his first senior title at the Whistler Sliding Centre on Saturday to cap off a medal-winning season.
The 19-year-old Whistler, B.C. resident maintained her position as the top feet first slider in the country after taking the senior title with a time of 1:18.313 on the 10-corner test.
“Capping the season off with another two wins on my home track was awesome,” said Susko, who has racked up 16 national titles throughout her development pathway since 2012. “It was really great racing to end a great season. It is always so fun to come back and race Canadian Champs while watching and supporting the next generation.”
Susko introduced herself to the international luge community last year by winning three straight Junior World Cup races with the final one coming on the 2010 Olympic Track she grew up on. She capped off her rookie season with a silver medal at the 2024 Junior World Championships and carried that momentum into this year where she was fourth in the individual race at World Championships in Whistler earlier this year. That result also solidified her another silver medal – this time in the Under-23 World Championship division.
Her friend and Whistler-based teammate, Caitlin Nash, was second on Saturday with a combined time of 1:18.468. The final member of the B.C. trio – Trinity Ellis of Pemberton – clocked-in at 1:18.632 for the bronze medal.
Susko also successfully defended her junior national championship title with the victory. Alberta’s Jolie Brodylo was second at 1:19.291, while British Columbia’s Ella Hodder was third at 1:20.753.
Calgary’s Theo Downey was also crowned Canadian Champion in men’s senior and junior racing. The 19-year-old clocked a time of 1:42.893 to take his first career senior national title.
“That was a super fun way to end off a year full of wins and progress,” said Downey. “It’s always fun to take a step back and go head-to-head with my fellow teammates like we used to when we were little.”
Dylan Morse finished second, completing his two runs in a total time of 1:43.299.
The Calgary-based duo of Cole Zajanski and Devin Wardrope were men’s doubles champions with a time of 1:18.706. Two other Calgarians – Beattie Podulsky and Kailey Allan – were the queens of women’s doubles at 1:19.713.
The two doubles sleds along with Susko and Downey joined forces in February to shock the world by taking the bronze medal in the World Championship team relay.
Youth winners included:
Ben Skinner (AB) – Youth A Men’s Open
Damon Walchuk (BC) – Youth A Men’s
Megan Sampson (BC) – Youth A Women’s Open
Ashtynn Forsberg (AB) – Youth A Women’s
Scarlet Jochumsen (AB) – Youth B Women’s
Tristan Marshall (AB) – Youth C Men’s Open
Ollie Ford (BC) – Youth C Men’s
Caydence Jackson (BC) – Youth C Women’s
John Bertram (BC) – Youth D Men’s
Cleo Dignon (BC) – Youth D Women’s
The Canadian Luge Association is a not-for-profit organization responsible for governing the sport of luge across the country. With the financial backing of from the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee and Own the Podium, the Canadian Luge Association safely recruits and develops the nation’s current and future high-performance luge athletes with the goal of regularly climbing onto the international podium. For more information on the Canadian Luge Association, please visit us at www.luge.ca on the Internet.
– 30 –
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Chris Dornan
Media and Public Relations
Canadian Luge Association
T: 403-620-8731